|
Contact information
Shirley Mason, Secretary / Executive Director
B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute
17000 NE 14th Ave
Building 2 | Suite 112
North Miami Beach, FL 33162
Ph: (305) 318-8821 [send email]
Website technical contact:
[send email]
Mission Statement
Beach Education Advocates for Culture, Health, Environment & Safety Foundation Institute, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) federally tax-exempt nonprofit educational corporation. B.E.A.C.H.E.S.'s four concerns for our public beaches are explicit in its name: cultural diversity, public health, environmental conservation, and beach safety. While within the context of cultural diversity, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. is a strong advocate for designated public naturist (clothing-optional) beaches, it is equally an advocate for an equitable shared usage of beach resources by all user groups, insofar as a particular usage is not in conflict with the four areas of concern of the foundation. To achieve these ends, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. aims at establishing amicable and mutually beneficial working partnerships with government, business, and the public.
History
In May, 2000 a core group of inspired and enterprising naturist activists and supporters participated in a weekend rendezvous with destiny - the initial meeting of the B.E.A.C.H.E.S.' first Board of Governors.
While the initial board was comprised of members of South Florida Free Beaches & Central Florida Naturists, the current board
includes representatives from a number of naturist advocacy groups in North America.
As an organization true to the naturist credo, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. focus is not only on the development of safe naturist (clothing-optional) opportunities at our seashores and inland waterways, but also on preserving both a sound natural and social environment at all our public beaches, for the benefit of all citizens now and in the future. It is thus concerned with the environment, tourism, community outreach, and establishing rapport and partnership with governing agencies for the improvement of public facilities.
As a foundation, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt educational organization. In practical terms, this means that any individual and corporate donations made to this organization are fully tax deductible. In addition, the foundation is able to secure grant funding from a variety of corporate, government, and institutional organizations to fund its programs and support its mission. Most importantly, it means that the Foundation is working to have a 365-day per year physical presence on our endangered historic clothing-optional beaches and to establish new public sites for naturists. B.E.A.C.H.E.S. is legally recognized as a valid and purposeful organization sanctioned by the IRS to be of a nature that will give back to the communities where it operates.
The mission of B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation includes:
1. To protect, maintain, and improve the physical, social, and legal integrity of naturist (clothing-optional) beaches.
2. To create and develop new sites for clothing-optional public beaches and land use.
3. To preserve and advance the cause of Constitutional Rights, fundamental natural rights, and civil liberties of people whose creed (a set of beliefs or principles) includes nonsexual social nudity, especially in appropriate natural settings.
4. To protect through education the reputation, health, safety, welfare, and morals of individuals and families who freely choose to practice this age-old custom and creed.
5. To promote activities in environments conducive to recreational social nudity.
6. To establish a working, amicable partnership between government and citizens for responsible management and maintenance of designated clothing-optional public land areas throughout North America, in order to see these areas become safe, clean, and secure havens for the benefit of the recreating public.
7. To assist individuals and public and private entities in establishing safe and harmonious conditions for the public at existing traditional clothing-optional areas, and facilitate the creation of new areas.
|
: |
|
OFFICERS & BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Shirley Mason, Miami, FL [Founder/Executive Director/Secretary]
Martin Novoa, Pompano Beach, FL [Vice President]: South Florida Free Beaches
Wendy Metts, Leesburg, FL [Treasurer]
Carl Flick, West Palm Beach / Fort Pierce, FL: Treasure Coast Naturists
David Gibbon, Melbourne, FL: Central Florida Naturists
Michelle Jackson, Dallas, TX: Black Naturists Association
Claudia Kellersch, San Diego, CA: Black's Beach Bares
Gary Mussell, Moorpark, CA: Southern California Naturist Association, Friends of Bates Beach, AANR West
Claude Richards, Madison, WI: Badger Naturists
Judy E. Williams, Vancouver, BC: Wreck Beach Preservation Society
Read all bios
| |
In tribute
|
|
Marion Hagans, a member of B.E.A.C.H.E.S.' Board of Governors, passed away peacefully in her sleep in September 2009 at her home at Lake Como Co-op in Land O' Lakes, FL.
Marion was a tireless ambassador for naturism,
appearing in many public forums through the years. Marion received the 2009 Baxandall Naturist Leadership Award by vote of the
membership of The Naturist Society.
|
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL (*)
& PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING CONTACTS:
Attorneys
Dan Aaronson* (zoning ordinances)
Michael Abramson, JD, CPA* (former President and Treasurer of
B.E.A.C.H.E.S.)
Jeffrey Denner (Nikki Craft case)
Jim Green
Burton Greene*, Lisa Tietig* (Florida top-free cases)
Robert Korschun* (So. Florida Free Beaches v. City of Miami)
David Kushner (law journal paper)
Donnie Murrell (Wyner v. State of Florida cases)
Jeff Narvil (law journal paper)
Donald O’Brien (New York State Top Free case)
Stanley Raskin (Beachfront USA cases)
Evan Shirley (Honokohau National Park case)
Rep. Barry Silver* (local ordinances)
Robert Ellis Smith* (anti-nudity laws)
Douglas Triggs* (the political Religious Right)
Mark Tietig*, Larry Walters*, David Wasserman*
(Brevard County/Canaveral National Seashore cases)
Ben Waxman (ACLU-related cases)
Legal Issues
Marvin Frandsen*, PhD, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. past president
(Frandsen v. FDEP & other cases)
Public Relations
Debra Hedding*
Religion
Paul Bowman*, Naturist Christian author (Nakedness and the Bible)
William Martin*, Naturist Christians (Religious Freedom Restoration Acts)
Anthropology
Dana Raphael, PhD
(published studies, author, expert witness)
Psychology
Paul Abramson, PhD* - Univ. Cal. LA (books, studies)
Lloyd Stires, PhD (published studies, author, expert witness)
Sociology/Criminology
Larry Gould, PhD* Northern Arizona Univ. (study)
Joni Levine - Early Childhood Development (expert witness)
Medical
Lloyd Sparks, MD* (published articles)
Art & History
Dr. David Allyn, Professor/History, Princeton Univ.
(author, published articles)
Dr. Paul LeValley*, Professor, Fla. State University (author, published articles)
Parks, Recreation & Leisure
Marcus Breece*, Haulover Beach Safety Captain (ret.)
George Harker, PhD* (published book, expert witness)
Elected Officials
Ilene Davis, (fmr. Titusville City Councilperson)
Commissioner Sally Heyman, Miami-Dade County Commission, former Florida State Representative (Attorney)
Rep. Barry Silver, Attorney * (fmr. Florida State Representative)
Business & Financial
Lynn Maurine* (Travel Specialist)
Alva Schoomer, PhD* (Investment Banker)
J. Spencer Taintor*, (Hotel/Timeshare Resort Specialist)
|
: |
